Apparatus for settling dust raised by motor-vehicles.



N0. 805,824. PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905. S. S. STITT. APPARATUS FOR SETTLINGDUST RAISED BY MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLIOATION FILED 8EPT,28, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Jiiarwy.

No. 805,824. PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905. S. S. STITT.

APPARATUS FOR SETTLING DUST RAISED BY MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT.28. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

SAMUEL STEWART STITT, OF CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND.

" APPARATUS FOR SETTLING DUST RAISED BY MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

Application filed September 28, 1905. Serial No. 280,511.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL STEWART STITT, master of arts, Clerk in HolyOrders, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Gonville andCaius College, Cambridge, in the county of Cambridge, England, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Settling DustRaised by Motor Road-Vehicles, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has for its object an apparatus applicable to motorroad-vehicles and designed to settle the dust raised by the wheels ofsuch vehicles. The principal part of the dust raised by motor-vehiclescomes from the wheels and is due to the action of the wheeltires uponthe road-surface. The device I have invented is designed to deal withthis dust immediately it is raised and to prevent said dust frombeingdistributed in a cloud behind the car.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 shows a side view of the dust-settling device applied to onewheel of a motorcar. Fig. 2 shows a rear view of the device. Fig. 3shows a plan view of the dust-collecting shoe seen in Figs. 1 and 2.Fig. 4: is a diagrammatic plan view of a car, showing one method ofconnecting up the dust-settling apparatus thereon. Fig. 5 shows asection through a spraying-nozzle used in the device. Figs. 6 and 7 arefront and plan views, respectively, showing the spraying apparatus usedin the device of Figs. 1 and 2, but drawn on an enlarged scale. Fig. 8is a detail view illustrating a modified form of spraying apparatus.Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic plan view showing a modified apparatus forsupplying the gas or air under pressure for spraying.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, a represents the tire of a motor-carwheel (a rear wheel in this case;) b, the end of the wheel-axle. 0 is ashoe, preferably of metal, supported on the one side by a rod cl, fixedto the end of the axle b and on the other side by a pipe 6, referred tobelow. The shoe 0 may be simply a metal plate bent to U shape. The shoeis supported at a little distance above the roadsurface and carries afringe f of leather or the like around its lower edge. It preferablyalso carries a flap 9 of leather or the like at its upper edge at theback thereof. Across the shoe at a little distance from the surface ofthe tire (4 extends a pipe it, provided with sprayingnozzles 11. Thesenozzles may be made in various ways, as hereinafter referred to. Theyare shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as being directed slightly downward andtoward the surface of the tire a, which is rising from the road-surface.Each wheel has a shoe 0 applied thereto in suitable manner, each shoehaving a spraying apparatus therein. The shoes for the back wheels aresupported byrods d and fixed pipes e, as already explained. The shoesfor the front wheels are preferably mounted by rods d at each sidethereof, Fig. 4:, said rods being fixed to the ends of the wheel-axles16 on the outside and to the pivoting Wheel-supports 17 on the inside,so that the shoes will always move with the wheels. h, Fig. 4, is a tankfor containing the spraying liquid, usually water, this tank beingarranged in any convenient position on the caras, for instance, underthe drivers seat. Pipes Z extend from the tank to each sprayingapparatus, the flow of water from the tank into these pipes beingcontrolled by a cock m, while separate taps a may be provided adjacentto each spraying apparatus for regulating the feed of water thereto. Theparts of the piping Z leading to the spraying apparatus on the frontwheels must be flexible in order to leave said wheels free for steering.0 is the exhaust-pipe leading from the engine, (not shown,) which ishere assumed to be an internal-combustion engine, and p is theexhaust-silencer of any type. A by-pass valve g from the silencer allowsany desired proportion of the exhaustgases to pass into a set of pipes1", adapted to convey the gases to the pipes e, connected with thespraying apparatus in each shoe 0. The pipes 6, leading to thefront-wheel spraying-shoes, must be flexible, as illustrated, in orderto allow said shoes to move freely with the Wheels.

One suitable form of spraying apparatus is illustrated in Figs. 5, 6,and 7. The pipe it here carries three nozzles 2', which are bell shape,as shown. Inside the pipe it extends a smaller pipe 8, connected at oneend with the water-pipes Z and provided at the otherend with a screwedcap 2? to give access thereto. A small tube a extends from the pipe 5 tothe center of each spraying-nozzle z. The exhaust-gases reach the pipelb through the pipe 6, as before explained, and they escape through thespraying-nozzles a, drawing out from the tubes to, and distributingthrough said nozzles water from the internal pipe s. By this means afinely-divided spray is produced in each shoe 0, and the dust particlescoming into this spray are wetted and settled either directly upon theroad or around the sides of the shoe, from which they ultimately dropupon the road in the form of clots of mud.

It is desirable to have a device for clearing the spraying-nozzlesshould they become choked with mud or the like, and it is also desirableto provide means for protecting these nozzles in wet weather when theyare not in use. For clearing the nozzles sets of plungers o are shownworking in guide-tubes w and having pins to adapted to pass into thenozzle-tubes u. The plungers o have rods y, connected together by ayoke-piece 2 and preferably drawn backward by a spring To clear thenozzles 'in case they are stopped, it is onlynecessary to press inwardthe yokepiece 2, whereby all the pins w will be simultaneously forcedthrough the nozzle-tubes a. If this action fails to clear thenozzle-holes for any reason, access can be obtained to the interior ofthe water-pipe s by removing the cap 2?.

For protecting the nozzles when not in use a plate 2 is provided,sliding in guides 3 and adapted to be moved by a finger-piece 4t. Saidplate has holes 5 therein adapted to register with the mouths of thenozzles 73 when in the position seen in Fig. 6. If, however, thefinger-piece 4 is pressed inward, the end of the plate is moved up to astop 6, and the holes 5 are then out of register with the nozzles t', sothat these latter are shielded.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the use ofany particular number of nozzles i in each shoe or any particularconstruction of these nozzles, so long as they are efficientspraying-nozzles from which liquid can be sprayed by the action of thecompressed gas or air. Fig. 8, for instance, shows a difiierent form ofnozzle, formed in this case by a long slit 7 into which the tubes fromthe water-pipe 8 project. Two such slits 7 are shown in this case with anumber of tubes a directed into the same and with spreading-plates 8 ateach side thereof. The spraying is etfected in this case in exactly thesame manner as above explained by the gas in the pipe h escaping aroundthe ends of the tubes at.

It is to be understood also that any convenient gas or vaper underpressure may be used for effecting the spraying. For instance, if themotor-car has a steam-motor the waste steam may be carried through thepiping r and c to the spraying apparatus, or gas from a suitablestorage-chamber might be c0nveyed to said piping. Generally, however,the waste gases of the engine will be used.

Fig. 9 shows how air compressed by suitable pumps might be utilized toeffect the spraying. a a, as before, represent the motor-tires, and 9 isthe power-shaft driving the rear axle through the usual differentialgearing 12. 11 11 are force-pumps actuated by eccentrics 13 on the shaft9 and acting to compress air into the piping 15, which leads to thespraying apparatus it. In this case, as live axles are used, the rods dfor the back wheels must be mounted outside said wheels on bearings 14:,within which the wheel-hub can freely rotate. In order to furtherstrengthen the mounting of the shoe, an additional support ing-rod (Zmay be arranged at the inner side of the wheel, fixed at its end on thecasing 10 of the live axle, as shown.

Finally, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to theexact shape of the shoe shown. It is only necessary that this shoeshould lie in proximity to the wheel close behind the point where saidwheel rolls upon the road-surface and that the shoe should to someextent embrace the wheel in order to form a casing or scoop wherein thedust-settling operation may be accomplished. It has been foundexperimentally that the best results are obtained if there is sufficientspray to moisten the surface of the wheel-tires to a certain extent; butthat is not essential. The whole interior of the shoe will of coursebecome moist during working, and the dust thrown against the walls ofthe shoe will be saturated in the Water and gradually washed down untilit drops upon the road.

What I claim is 1. An apparatus for settling dust raised by the wheelsofmotor road-vehicles, said apparatus comprising means for producingaspray of finely-divided liquid behind the wheels of the vehicle, andmeans for supplying liquid and gas under pressure to the sprayingapparatus.

2. An apparatus for settling dust raised by the wheels of motorroad-vehicles, said apparatus comprising spraying-nozzles and means forsupporting the same behind the vehiclewheels, a tank for liquid andpipes for conveying the liquid to the nozzles, a source of gas underpressure and means for supplying said gas to the spraying-nozzles.

3. An apparatus for settling dust raised by the wheels of motorroad-vehicles, said apparatus comprising a shoe behind each wheel and inproximity to the point of contact of the wheel-tire with the road, meansfor supporting each shoe, spraying apparatus inside each shoe, means forsupplying liquid to said spraying apparatus, and means for supplying gasunder pressure to the spraying apparatus.

4. In an apparatus for settling dust applicable to motor road-vehicles,the combination with the motor-car and engine thereof, of a shoe behindeach wheel and in proximity to the point of contact of the wheel-tirewith the road, means for supporting each shoe, spraying apparatus insideeach shoe, means for supplying liquid to said spraying apparatus, andmeans for conveying the exhaustscam gases of the engine to the sprayingapparatus whereby said gases are utilized for making the liquid spray.

5. An apparatus for settling the dust raised by the wheels of motorroad-vehicles, said apparatus comprising means for confining the dust toa certain space, and means for producing a spray of finely-dividedliquid within the space.

6. An apparatus for settling the dust raised by the Wheels of motorroad-vehicles, said apparatus comprising a shoe adapted to confine thedust within a certain space, a pipe mounted in said shoe,spraying-nozzles mounted on said pipe, means for conveying gas underpressure to said nozzles, means for supplying water to said nozzles, andmeans for clearing the nozzles from obstruction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL STEWART STITT.

Witnesses:

HUBER'I. A. GILL, FREDK. L. RAND.

